The U.S. Navy Has Sent Aircraft Carrier Strike Groups To Surround China!

James Kaufman, World News Report Today. The U.S. Navy has sent aircraft carrier strike groups to surround China. The United States has surged naval power in the Western Pacific, deploying two carrier strike groups and an amphibious assault ship as China expands its own carrier operations. The USS Abraham Lincoln and the USS George Washington were operating with F-35C-equipped airwings under the 7th Fleet, while the USS Tripoli and cruiser USS Robert Smalls visits Vietnam, underscoring growing regional partnerships. Washington cast the move as routine support for a free and open Indo-Pacific, But they also answer Beijing's maturing blue-water ambitions, highlighted by sea trials of China's third carrier, the Fujian. Expect an elevated U.S. presence as its maritime competition deepens. The United States has moved two aircraft carrier strike groups, including submarines and amphibious assault ships, across the western Pacific this week, marking one of the most visible demonstrations of American naval power in the region as China continues to expand its maritime presence. Notably, the aircraft carriers deployed to the area are equipped to deploy F-35 stealth fighters. The move comes as Beijing pushes to modernize its armed forces and projects naval strength through its own carrier deployments, and as its newly assembled warship groups sail through contested waters. Quote, the USS Abraham Lincoln flagship of the Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group is underway conducting routine operations in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations, demonstrating the U.S. Navy's long-term commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific. The full Navy caption reads, The Chinese foreign minister has not yet publicly commented on the decision. Still, the deployment will not go unnoticed, given that it marks the latest development in a steady back-and-forth display of capabilities among the U.S., its allies in Beijing, and the Western Pacific's strategic waterways. The F-35s aboard the American carriers remain central to U.S. naval presence in the region. The jet family, which includes the F-35A for land-based operations, the F-35B for short takeoffs and vertical landings, and the F-35C for carrier operations, grants U.S. naval forces a broad reach across the region, even if the fighter jets are unlikely to be used at this stage. The 7th Fleet, which is responsible for the Western Pacific and Indian Ocean, remains the United States' most significant forward-deployed naval formation, with between 50 and 70 vessels in total, 150 aircraft, and more than 27,000 personnel operating at any given time. The fleet serves as the core of America's efforts in the Indo-Pacific region. The Abraham Lincoln-carrying F-35C jets departed San Diego in late November to begin its Pacific deployment. A second carrier, the USS George Washington, was also active in the area. The ship continued operations in the Philippine Sea earlier this week following a port visit to Guam, which is the U.S.'s westernmost territory. Captain Tim Waits, commanding officer of the USS George Washington, praised his crew in a press release issued this week, noting that the carrier's mission is to preserve the peace, respond in crisis, and win decisively in war. Our presence in the Indo-Pacific and integration with our allies and partners gives us a strategic advantage that enables mission success, he added. While the carriers themselves are the most prominent symbols of American presence in the region, the deployment of additional assets allows the fleet to maintain coverage across the region. The amphibious assault ship, the USS Tripoli, which operates F-35B jets, entered Da Nang, Vietnam this week alongside the cruiser, the USS Robert Smalls. Their arrival in Vietnam marked the 30th anniversary of U.S.-Vietnam relations. The visit also occurred only months after the Tripoli arrived in Sasebo, Japan, as part of a scheduled rotation of U.S. forces. Speaking about the visit by the Tripoli, the U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam, Mark E. Knapper, described the event as heartening proof that the U.S. and Vietnam remain as close as ever. The visit by the USS Tripoli and the USS Robert Smalls, coming as we close out celebrations to mark the 30th year of bilateral relations, is proof that the U.S.-Vietnam partnership has never been better, Knapper said. It's also heartening to see the warm welcome that U.S. service members have received here in Da Nang, a city that holds a special place in the history of our bilateral relations and recently faced challenges following multiple typhoons. U.S. presence in the region is likely to remain elevated as Beijing continues expanding its carrier operations and long-range naval deployments. China's third aircraft carrier, Fujian, began sea trials earlier this year, a milestone U.S. officials say reflects Beijing's ambition to build a fully modern blue-water fleet capable of operating far from its shores. The Pentagon's 2024 China Military Power Report similarly warns that China is accelerating efforts to project power deeper into the Pacific, including through increasingly complex joint naval drills. A separate article explains that China has aimed almost all of their hypersonic weapons at these two carriers and at these carrier groups. Now, what does that mean for these carrier groups? Well, it's not pretty, to say the least, in my opinion. I believe it to be well known worldwide that the U.S. and its strike groups have really no defense whatsoever against these hypersonic weapons that China does field. And, ladies and gentlemen, basically, in my opinion, these carriers are nothing but sitting ducks unless they constantly have air power in the air. And I do mean constantly. God bless. Please share and subscribe, and always remember that anything is possible in Bizarro World.